Author Archives: Janet Sketchley

About Janet Sketchley

Janet Sketchley is an Atlantic Canadian writer whose Redemption’s Edge Christian suspense novels have each been finalists in The Word Awards. She's also the author of the devotional collection, A Year of Tenacity. Janet blogs about faith and books. She loves Jesus and her family, and enjoys reading, worship music, and tea. Fans of Christian suspense are invited to join her writing journey through her monthly newsletter: bit.ly/JanetSketchleyNews.

Keep Listening

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So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.
Luke 8:18, NLT*

Jesus’ warning here is why we need to read the Bible – daily – and to ask God to open our ears and teach us. It’s why we need to spend time with other Christians, not just socializing but also sharing what we’ve seen God do and what we’re learning.

It’s what I’m afraid of for so many people who know God but don’t spend any time with Him. I don’t want to venture into the debate over whether a person can lose his/her salvation. Different denominations have different understandings on that one. But we can definitely lose our closeness with God, lose the ability to hear Him and to please Him. Lose the chance to lay up treasure in Heaven through loving service on earth.

Reading the Bible doesn’t have to be hard. Pick an understandable translation, and begin your reading time with a prayer that God will teach you. He loves to answer that kind of prayer! A physical copy of the Bible isn’t a must. Sites like Biblegateway.com offer various devotions that can come directly to your email.

Prayer isn’t hard either. It’s being quiet with God, listening as well as speaking. It’s spending time with Him – with a willing spirit, ready to adore and obey. It’s relationship time, just like with our loved ones. I have some other posts on prayer here.

We dare not risk losing what we have just because we haven’t taken time or have been too busy for God. Oddly enough, a few minutes with Him at the beginning of the day can make the rest of it fall into place better than expected. After all, He is our Shepherd and does give us strength and wisdom when we ask.

God our loving Father, our strong and caring Shepherd, what a privilege to be in relationship with You. Forgive us for the times we allow ourselves to drift away, and please restore us to intimacy with You. Help us to be intentional in spending time with You, and to listen and obey.

∞

Here’s an unusual song that matches our verse: “Lost the Plot,” by the Newsboys. I like the extra Scripture verses included in the video among the lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwK6s7sws6o

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Giveaway: Secrets and Lies

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Secrets and Lies, by Janet Sketchley One reader will win a copy of Secrets and Lies on 2/1/15.

Enter now, and feel free to share with your friends who like Christian romantic suspense…

Entry details on Anne Garboczi Evans’ blog.

Review: A Promise to Protect, by Patricia Bradley

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A Promise to Protect, by Patricia Bradley (Revell, 2014)

To finish repaying her student loans, Dr. Leigh Somerall must take a temporary position in the one place she dreads: the small southern town of Logan Point. Logan Point was home, once.

Soon after she and her son TJ arrive, Leigh’s brother Tony is murdered. His dying request to Acting Sheriff Ben Logan? Protect Leigh.

Ben is the last person Leigh wants around – what if he discovers TJ is his son? It’s been too many years, and she’s told too many lies, to reveal the truth now.

In the mean time, whoever killed Tony wants a certain flash drive. And thinks Leigh has it. A series of attacks, some aimed at Leigh and some at the town’s general safety, keep Ben and his team scrambling. Is it really about Leigh, or is it about undermining the people’s confidence in Ben, who’ll be running for Sheriff in the next election?

A Promise to Protect is deftly plotted and keeps the reader guessing. I enjoyed the suspense more than Leigh’s angst over whether to tell Ben about his son. Ben and Leigh are realistic characters, each with inner struggles as well as the external one thrust on them by the unknown villains. And although this is their story, it was good to see Taylor Martin from the previous novel playing a small role.

This is book 2 in Patricia Bradley’s Logan Point series. Personally, I engaged better with the characters in book 1, Shadows of the Past, but both are quality stories, well told and well worth reading. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

Patricia Bradley writes romantic suspense for Revell, and romance for Harlequin Heartwarming. For a brief, suspenseful read, visit her website and read her short story, “Blood Kin.”

[Review copy from my personal library.]

New Guest Blogger!

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Who doesn’t love it when a friend comes to visit? I’m pleased to introduce Stephanie Nickel, a friend and writer who’s agreed to share some guest posts with us.

Steph Beth Nickel
(Picture by Sarah Grace Photography)

Stephanie is a freelance writer and editor. She writes under the pen name Steph Beth Nickel. She co-authored Paralympian Deborah L. Willows’ memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances. Among other places, it is available from Castle Quay Books and Amazon. Steph has been blogging since 2010 and is a regular guest on Kimberley Payne’s site (fitness tips) and Christian Editing Services (writing tips and prompts). She will also be writing and recording regularly for the newly-formed Hope Stream Radio. Stephanie is an active member of The Word Guild and InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship.

Janet: Stephanie, we first met at a Write Canada conference, but I don’t remember the year. I went home and subscribed to your poetry blog, which has since melded into your Steph’s Eclectic Interests blog. We can see a glimpse of those varied interests in your author bio above. Are there others you’d like to mention here?

Stephanie: How long do you have, my friend? I have what I call Butterfly Syndrome. Some people simply refer to it as “Oo, Shiny!” As you would expect, I love reading. I also love, love, love to take pictures. My Canon is one of my best friends. And in addition to all that, I am a labour doula. I offer moms emotional and physical support as they birth their wee ones. (We met in June 2010, by the way. *grin*)

Janet: I guess the secret must be to do a little bit of everything. How do you keep from over-committing?

Stephanie: <humming and averting eyes> I don’t actually keep from over-committing. I do, however, discover that I get fired up and, for the most part, do a better job if I have several things on the go at once. Weird, I know.

Janet: I get distracted by new ideas too, but it’s more like “squirrel!” and I’m off. It doesn’t help me work better, just defuses what I’m trying to do. Ah, well … You’ll have some of the Friday posts here, and they’re pretty open-ended. What sorts of things do you think you might share with us?

Stephanie: Poetry, Christian Living, maybe a little flash fiction, the occasional photo post perhaps … Plus, I’m always open to suggestions.

Janet: What got you into writing?

Stephanie: That’s a great question. I really don’t know for sure. I’ve been writing in one form or another as long as I can remember.

Janet: Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

Stephanie: If you have the opportunity—whether new or experienced writer—write about what you love, what fires you up, what God has put on your heart. (You may be surprised who will be stirred by your words.) Always be open to constructive criticism and further developing your writing skills. At the end of the day, I think a writer must develop a tender heart, which will shine through almost any type of writing, and a tough hide, so as not to take criticism and negative reviews as a slight against you as a person. Don’t wait until you’re “good enough”—whatever that means—just write!

Janet: So true! The sooner we start, the sooner we’ll develop our skills. Now, with so many different interests and projects, do you ever get a full writer’s block? Or do you just switch to a different project and keep working?

Stephanie: As you mentioned, I can usually just divert my attention to another project if the words stop flowing. The only writer’s block I get occurs when I’m trying to come up with new subject matter for a copywriting client I work with. I write four seniors’ living articles per month, and I am coming to the end of the off-the-top-of-my-head list.

Janet: Sounds like it’s time to hang out with some seniors and eavesdrop! What do you like to do to recharge?

Stephanie: There’s little I enjoy more than grabbing my camera and going for a photo walk. But trust me, it’s a very slow walk because I’m partial to macro photography, getting up close and personal. If I move an inch or two, it’s a whole new shot. I’m so thankful for digital technology.

Janet: Love your photos! And I’m looking forward to your posts here.

Note to readers: The plan is for Stephanie to post here on the last Friday of the month, so please come back next Friday and see what she has to say. In the meantime, if you’d like to know more about her, visit the links below. You can also read my interview with Steph and co-author Deb Willows about the book Living Beyond My Circumstances. (Interview link here)

===

Stephanie invites you to pop by for a visit on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephbethnickel or
https://www.facebook.com/stephbnickel?ref=hl

You can also look her up on Twitter @StephBethNickel;
her blog: http://stephseclecticinterests.wordpress.com;
or her website (still a work in progress): http://stephbethnickel.com.

Jesus’ Authority

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I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.
Luke 7:8, NLT*

The Roman officer believed that Jesus’ word at a distance was enough to heal his dying slave, because he understood how authority works. And he believed Jesus had the authority to heal.

Jesus has authority over us by right of creation and by right of rescue. He is our Good Shepherd and He knows what’s best. He has the power and the heart to care for us.

Jesus has authority over everything. The Bible shows that not only did sickness and oppression leave at His command, but He calmed storms, raised the dead, even provided a coin in a fish’s mouth to pay a local tax. He spoke wisdom straight from God the Father.

We can trust His authority, and His heart.

God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, strengthen our faith. Help us to rely on You and to trust Your authority. Help us to obey You in love and in confidence in who You are.

∞

This song from Austin Stone Worship, “You are God and You are Good” is a prayer that encourages our faith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EWJqpsHJPg

Review: Emissary, by Thomas Locke

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Emissary, by Thomas Locke (Revell, 2014)

Hyam is an honest and unremarkable farmer in a world where magic is only permitted within the confines of Long Halls: places of training for wizards. He was a Long Hall acolyte for a time, until the wizards threw him out. Not that he wanted to stay. To be an acolyte was much like being a prisoner.

Now, as Hyam reaches his coming-of-age birthday (21), his mother’s deathbed request sends him back to the Long Hall with a message. The unwelcome news he receives there, plus the sudden onset of what seems to be magical ability, thrusts him from his home and into a life of adventure.

Emissary is mainstream fantasy fiction, in the classic reluctant hero’s journey style. It’s been called epic, but I wouldn’t go that far. It’s a fun read with plenty of action and struggle, enjoyable characters and a well-developed world and magic system, but epic fantasy has a weight to it. Emissary, for all the great danger Hyam faces, is a lighter read.

The dangers are huge and at times spectacular, but he always comes through them with ease – even when survival looks impossible at first. [I’m excluding the ending from this comment, because I don’t want to give any spoilers. Perhaps they all die. You’ll have to read the book to find out!]

Thomas Locke is a pseudonym for Davis Bunn, a well-known, award-winning novelist. I understand the choice to use a pen name for this series. It’s an entirely different genre (fantasy instead of suspense) and it’s also a clean mainstream story instead of Davis Bunn’s overtly Christian novels. This way, readers know not to have the same expectations they’d have of his other work.

If you want to know more about Emissary, there’s a free ebook excerpt called The Captive available through the author’s site: The Captive. This may be only available in Kindle format. It’s Joelle’s story (she’s one of the key characters in Emissary). There’s also a book trailer for Emissary and a sample chapter on the Thomas Locke website.

Emissary is book 1 in the Legends of the Realm series, and book 2 is scheduled to release in 2016. Also to come from Thomas Locke is Trial Run, book 1 in the Fault Lines series. This one looks more like science fiction from the brief description at the end of Emissary, and I’m eager to learn more about it.

[Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.]

Interview: Suspense Author Lisa Harris

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Lisa Harris

Lisa Harris is a Christy Award winner and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 from Romantic Times. The author of almost thirty books, including Dangerous Passage, Fatal Exchange, and Hidden Agenda, Harris and her family have spent twelve years living as missionaries in southern Africa. They currently live in Mozambique where she leads a women’s ministry and runs a nonprofit organization that works alongside their church-planting ministry. Learn more at www.lisaharriswrites.com.

Janet: Welcome, Lisa, and thanks for taking time to join us. I’m sure this is a busy time for you, with the release of your new novel. Each installment of Southern Crimes builds on the previous ones, and Hidden Agenda has a pretty major spoiler for the earlier books: Michael Hunt is alive. I’d been secretly wishing for this, and I hope he can stay alive until the end of the book!

Lisa: Thanks so much for having, Janet! I knew from the beginning I wanted to tell Michael’s story. There was something about him that just wouldn’t let me go! 🙂 So, yes, I loved writing his story, and don’t worry… I had to have a happy ending to the series!

Janet: Hidden Agenda is book 3 in the Southern Crimes series. Do readers need to read books 1 and 2 first? Tell us a bit about the series.

Lisa: I did my best to make each story a stand alone book, meaning the main mystery in each book does conclude. But the three books are definitely tied together. So while you can read book three by itself, to get the entire Hunt family story, it’s best to read them in order.

Janet: I agree! One thing I’m curious about: you’re serving as a missionary in Mozambique, an exotic location in its own right. Why did you decide to set these stories in Atlanta?

Lisa: Several years ago, I wrote Blood Ransom, a novel that focused on human trafficking in Africa. At the time, I had no idea this was an issue in the US. With this new series, I decided that setting this story in the US, the backdrop of human trafficking would not only make an exciting story, but would also help people become aware of this very real issue. Atlanta ended up being the perfect backdrop then for this new series.

Janet: I see your Love Inspired novel, Taken, which releases next month, is set in the US and in Paris. Might we see some fiction from you that visits African settings?

Lisa: Yes! I have several, actually. Blood Ransom and Blood Covenant are both romantic suspense set in a fictional African country and deal with human trafficking and refugee camps. An Ocean Away is a historical set in Rhodesia and New York City in the 1920s. Earlier this year, LIS published Deadly Safari that is set in South Africa. I’m really excited because LIS wants me to continue writing international romantic suspense which I love! I just finished another one for them that will come out next fall and is set off the coast of West Africa.

Janet: It’s great to see more international fiction! Lisa, in the Southern Crimes series, you don’t just give us “cop dramas” – your characters have complicated family dynamics and relationships, which makes them feel more real. Avery is dealing with life as a widow and single mom, Emily hears her biological clock ticking but doesn’t need a mate to be complete, and Michael’s humanity will come out as we read his story. I’m sure this helps you relate to them as you write. What do readers say about your characters?

Lisa: That is exactly what I want my readers to feel, Janet! I want my stories to be fast-paced and exciting, but I also want to show how real people might react to difficult, intense situations. And how God can use them in spite of their weaknesses. My publisher just showed me a review from Suspense Magazine that I love. The reviewer said, “Harris’ appealing characters—especially deaf and brilliant Ivan, a great example of someone with a sensory challenge who is not disabled because of it…” I loved that a reader saw that.

Janet: Now that I’ve read the novel, I can say I appreciated Ivan as well. Do you have a favourite character in the series?

Lisa: That is so hard! I’m going to go with Emily in book two, because I think she’s the most like me. I would have been terrified in the situation she faced, which is why I loved watching her struggle and grow through the experience.

Janet: Thinking about Hidden Agenda, what’s the novel’s theme? Or what do you want readers to take away when they’re done?

Lisa: I’d like them to be able to look at their own lives—their own faith—and realize that God is still in control even if everything seems to be falling apart. At one point in the story, Michael says, ‘Sometimes there simply aren’t answers. At least not the answers we’re looking for. Walking through the fire forces us to face God. To strip our souls of all of the charades we play, until we see only Him.‘ That’s what I want for my own life. To truly see Him!

Janet: Michael’s experiences earn him the right to speak like that. There’s nothing trite in his words. These novels must have required a lot of research. What’s the oddest bit of trivia you’ve picked up?

Lisa: You’re right. I Google the craziest things, sometimes. Things I wish I didn’t know about the cartel, the beautiful Georgia barrier islands, electronic bugs, spy equipment, and bombs for example. One interesting bit of trivia I recently learned was that you can pretty easily escape if ever tied up with duct tape. (At least according to YouTube). That was a surprise to me. One of the most interesting books I ever had to research was An Ocean Away. I read a couple fascinating books about the culture of Rhodesia that were almost a hundred years old, as well as New York City trivia from the 1920’s. I had to force myself to stop researching many times in order to actually write!

Janet: Is there another Southern Crimes novel in the works, or what’s next?

Lisa: No, sadly I’ve had to leave the Hunt family behind as far as writing goes. But I’m not currently writing another series for Revell that will come out next Fall that I’m super excited about! It’s a series about a missing person task force. More information about it soon!

Janet: I’ll be watching for it! What got you started writing?

Lisa: It was something I always wanted to do, but didn’t really start until my eldest was born. He was the perfect baby and slept a lot while I was a stay-at-home mom with no car. So I decided to write a book and I did. I haven’t stopped writing since!

Janet: What’s life like when you’re not writing?

Lisa: While I do write pretty full time (this year especially) I’m also very involved in our ministry here in Mozambique. And until a few months ago, was also homeschooling at least some of our three kids. I also coordinate our women’s ministry and run a non-profit (www.theECHOproject.org) that allows us to help people’s physical needs we encounter every day alongside their spiritual needs.

Janet: Tell us something you appreciate about where you live.

Lisa: While we don’t go often enough, I love going to the Indian Ocean and watching the humpback whales breach while they’re migrating off the coast. It’s so beautiful!

Janet: That would be amazing. What’s one thing you wish people knew about life as a missionary?

Lisa: I think some people tend to romanticize mission work, but it’s not as exotic as it might seem. Life here is day in and day out a part of people’s lives around us. Like everyone there are ups and downs, and we see a lot of really tough things along the way. But in the end, we know we’re called and the hard parts are worth it.

Janet: What do you like to do to recharge?

Lisa: Somewhere quiet outside, like a drive through Kruger Park, or a walk along the beach. A place where I can be reminded of God’s presence.

Janet: Is there a particular song or Scripture verse that’s made a difference for you?

Lisa: I like to remind myself that this life is temporary and heaven is waiting! I love Paul’s reminder in 2 Corinthians 4:17 that our “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison!”

Thank you so much for having me, Janet!

Janet: Thanks again for visiting, Lisa. Readers, feel free to leave questions or comments on this post, and please note that Lisa is offering a free cozy mystery ebook when you sign up for her author newsletter.

===

For more about Lisa Harris, including her books and ministry and photos of Africa’s wild side, visit her website: lisaharriswrites.com.

Hidden Agenda, by Lisa Harris (Revell, 2015)

Michael Hunt is alive—and on the run. Presumed dead by friends and family, the undercover assignment he’s been working for the past eight months has just been blown. With a hit out on his life and corruption inside the Atlanta police department, Michael finds himself hunted by both the cartel and the law. His only hope is the daughter of the man who wants him dead.

Book 3 in the Southern Crimes series.

Taking God Seriously

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So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?
Luke 6:46, NLT*

Jesus’ miracles proved His power, authority and compassion. His message was direct and understandable, except when cloaked in parables. People flocked to Him.

Yet here, after a very practical sermon, He accuses them of not doing what He says. And He warns that putting His words into practice will be the difference between stability and disaster (Luke 6:46-49).

He’s just told them to love, bless, do good, not to judge or condemn, to forgive and be generous to friend and enemy alike. He’s told them to live like Himself, minus the miracles.

He tells us the same thing, sometimes through the Holy Spirit in our hearts, but it’s pretty plain in Scripture as well. And we have the Spirit to enable us.

God tells us how to live. And He means what He says. We need to take Him seriously:

for our own health (He designed us and knows us best);
as examples to show His love and care and righteousness;
to keep close to Him instead of letting us drift away;
because unrighteousness offends Him; and
because He has the authority to require it.

God our Creator and Redeemer, what is it we’re not doing that You say? Help us to hear and to obey, for our own sakes and for the sake of Your Kingdom – and to please Your heart. Forgive us for the times we’ve lived as if obedience were optional. Help us submit fully to Your authority in our lives, with complete trust in Your goodness.

∞

If we lived like Jesus meant what He said, Matt Redman is right: “We Could Change the World.”

Review: Hidden Agenda, by Lisa Harris

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Hidden Agenda, by Lisa Harris (Revell, 2015)

Hidden Agenda is book 3 in Lisa Harris’ Southern Crimes series, and it follows the events in book 2 (Fatal Exchange) by about a week.

I heartily encourage you to begin with book 1, Dangerous Passage, and if you plan to do so, don’t read the rest of this review.

Hidden Agenda contains a massive spoiler for the first two books.

Still here?

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

And now for my review:

Contrary to what his family believes, Michael Hunt is not dead. He’s been working undercover for the past eight months, gaining evidence on the leader of an international drug cartel. Now his life’s in danger and he has to rely on the daughter of the man he swore to bring down. Will he live long enough to see his family again?

Michael isn’t the only one searching for the truth.

Olivia Hamilton is after the truth, as well. She’s a journalist. It’s what she does. So how can she have been so oblivious to a lifetime’s hints that her father isn’t simply a successful businessman? Will the truth be worth the cost?

Hidden Agenda is a chase novel, with Michael, Olivia, and her brother Ivan only a few steps ahead of their pursuers. Wounded, Michael must get them to safety. He can’t let his attraction to Olivia distract his focus.

This is more than a chase novel, though, and more than a romance. Michael has been undercover too long, and he’s forgetting who he really is. Olivia and Ivan have lost part of their identities with the revelation of their father’s true nature, and more grief strikes as they flee.

These three characters find their faith shaken and tested by the evil they encounter. They discover that belief isn’t about pat answers or happy endings, but about trusting God in the middle of the worst that life can throw at them.

I appreciated the character of Ivan, who is deaf. He’s resourceful and possibly brilliant, but Olivia has mothered him since their mother died, and at 19 he needs to break free. Ironically, it’s Olivia’s own experiences with Michael’s overprotective streak that help her learn how her brother feels – and to give him his space.

Well-plotted and tautly-written, Hidden Agenda is a fun read and a great finish to a series that just kept getting better. I’ve enjoyed “meeting” the Hunt family in these three stories.

Bestselling author Lisa Harris has over 30 novels and novella collections to her credit. She and her family serve as missionaries in Africa, where she also runs the ECHO Project.

[Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.]

Christian Living in 2015

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Can our daily choices actually be spiritual warfare? Read The Battle of 2015 at Other Food: daily devos.

Our choices include what (and if) we believe. I love the opening 2015 post at Beech Croft Tales: Rock Solid.

For more on the challenge to live with the mindset of Christ, read “God’s Word for 2015” at Practical Faith.

And for encouragement that yes, we can make changes in our lives, read Ann Voskamp’s Google+ post.

Janice Dick is starting a new blog series on some of Brother Lawrence’s insights. The first post is Satisfied by God, and I’m looking forward to what she’ll share. Brother Lawrence was a monk in the 1600s, and his words on practicing the presence of God are simple but profound.

As always, you can find spiritual encouragement weekly at Hearing the Heartbeat.